Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-11-02
Three or four. could not say

some villain struck my arm and
Knocked the pistol from my hand.''
Did they take any tn ng from vou?"
IL think not. had but little they
could take, except my life. and I'm
sure it was only your opporiune ar
rival that prevented them taking that"
''Have you any idea who they werr?''
''No, sir. l am an utter stranger
here, answered the wounded man.
They drove along slowly, for the
stranger was suffering intense pain.
When they arrived at farmer Miles
house, they found the wounded
strangers horses standing meekly by
the gate with a remnant of the shat
tered buggy attached to them. The
farmer went in and broke the news to
his wife and daughter, who were still
up in the sitting-room.
Where are the Doys?" asked the
farmer.
They are in bed," answered his
wife.
IN go and meet Them" said Mr..
He hurried upstairs TO their rooms.
John and Ben answered his calls.
where is Walter?" he asked, as
cOlil HppCdltu at luS uoOE Oi MS room,
rubbing his eyes rather sleepily.
''In his bed,n said John
Hurry up you fellows; there's been
a robbery down the road, and almost a
murder. I've got a wounded man in
the wagon, You must all come out and
help carry him in"
As Walter Brownfield still did not
answer, he entered his room and APP
preached his bed, and found it unoc-
cupied.
walter is not here, where is hep"
asked Mr.. NJ les.
''He went to bed there" said John,
who being now thoroughly awake, was
dressing rapidly.
Yes, but he got up two hours ago
and went Out" said Ben; ''he's not
been back since"
The farmer staggered rs if he had re-
ceived blow. "Dave Black must be
right and Walter is one OF the robbers
who attacked the stranger on the
Bushville road"
He said nothing, however, but hur-
ried out with John and Ben to carry in
the wounded man. When Mr.. Brown
had been placed in bed and made as
comfortable as possible, Ben Miles was
sent to put away the horses and John
TO Bushville TO inform the sheriff and
bring a doctor.
Upon examining Mr.. Browns iniu-
ries. Mr.. Miles discovered that he had
several bruises about the head and
shoulders, and his left arm was broken.
John had been gone nearly an hour
when the door opened and Walter
Browntield entered the sitting-room,
his face flushed and paled by turns,
and to Mr.. Miles appeared decidedly
guilty. His establishment knew no
bounds at the sight of the wounded
man.
Where have you been, Walter?"
asked the farmer.
ii did not feel well, and arose from
my bed to take walk in the night
air.
That settles it." thought the farm
er. though he said nothing. He is a
robber, and to think that / have been
harboring him"
The farmer no longer doubted Wal
ter's guilt, but his great desire was to
bring the entire gang to justice.
Should he have Walter arrested the
others would leave the country; there
fore he must hide his time
Ben told Walter all he knew about
the attack on Mr. Brown. and how, if
his father had not charged down to the
rescue in a two-horse wagon, he would
have been killed. Walter listened in
real, though Mr.. Miles construed it to
he only feigned, wonder. The doc
tor came, as did the sheriff. The form
er set the arm and dressed the wounds,
and the latter had a long conversation
with Mr.. Miles and departed. For
three or four days the sheriff with IL
posse of men rode about the country.
but found no clue to the would-be rob-
bers and assassins.
The next day Mr.. Miles met Hawk
ms, his thriftless neighbor. and gave
him an amusing account of how he had
frightened n dozen brigands, and run
them from an intended victim.
WHO were they?" asked Hawkins.
- have no idea
Couldn't you see 'em?"
"See them? no; it was dark as a
stack of black cats / couldn't see NV
hand before me, but l heard them
knocking and swearing. | heard a
pistol shot, and knew that business of
a serious nature was going on
And have you no idea who they
wereP' asked Jack Hawkins, with a
look of intense interest.
No, | have not" was the answer
of the farmer, after few moments
reflection.
He thought to himself: 81 better
not tell Jack, beca use he'll be sure to
tell that trifling Bill Martin, and it'll
be sure to be all over the country"
sis the stranger bad hurt?'
Yes, but not dangerous; he has a
broken arm and some bruises of the
head
''Does he know who the robbers
wore?"
mo; he's stranger here, and
knows no one but Mr.. Smallweed, the
banker. His name is Brown. and he
has just returned from California. He
is immensely rich, think, but has all
his gold in Smallweed's bank at
Bushvile."
As they were on the point of sepafa-
ton, Mr.. Miles inquired as to the
whereabouts of Bill Martin, and was
informed that he had received a
slight injury in the shoulder by being
thrown from a horse, and would prob
ably be confined to his bed for several
days.
Pinkey Miles was the nurse of the
wounded man. He dictated n letter
which she wrote Mr.. Smallweed in re-
gard to business affairs: by it she
learned that he was expecting two
more boxes of gold coin, on the ex-
press, and he wished him to 90 to
Queenstown and receive is, suggesting
that he had better have a strong guard
to prevent the capture Of the treasure.
''You shall be amply repaid for all
Your kindness to me, Miss Pinkey,"
said the Californian.
IL have done nothing more than my
duty, sir, and | do not require any
pay"
But you deserve pay for your
trouble"
liz was the third dav after tho injury